WHY DO COURSES OVERSEED?

Overseeding is done on most courses throughout the nation from Spyglass Hill in California to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Overseeding is needed in order to keep a golf course in playing condition throughout the entire year. Let’s face it, golfers like golf courses that are playable and green all year round. Here in Myrtle Beach you will find several different overseeding practices as there are about 100 golf courses in the area. Not all of them have the same conditions and priorities as overseeding is needed.
          Let’s see what overseeding is. Overseeding is done when a golf course’s main grass (Bermuda) in the fairways, tee boxes, and greens is about to go into its dormant stage. When Bermuda is dormant, it is brown. Myrtle Beach in particular can not survive without lush, green conditions all year round. The process by which overseeding is carried through, is when the golf course superintendent feels that the Bermuda grass is about to go dormant, he will execute the overseeding procedure by placing a lot (and I mean a lot) of seed onto the course. This is usually Rye grass which does well in cooler weather. In order to get the seed to take, he must water the course enough for the seed to germinate. Once the seed has germinated and grown strong into the ground he may still keep irrigating the course just to make sure the seed takes. If not, the course may be out thousands and he may be out of a job.
          If a course has a warm season grass (such as Bermuda) it will turn brown in dormancy. The beginning of dormancy occurs when temperatures dip into the low 60’s. Myrtle Beach’s weather temperatures dip into the 60’s in late October. This is why October is the month of choice in Myrtle Beach to overseed the courses. Bermuda grass stops growing in its dormant stage, and therefore will not heal if damaged. But the overseed grass of choice will heal better in cooler weather. Golf cart limitations will be put in place for an extended period of time when overseeding is in practice. This is for more than one reason. First, the dormant Bermuda grass cannot heal if damaged, and second, the course will be wet from all of the water that is required for the overseed to take.
          There is no way around overseeding in Myrtle Beach. Golf is the main attraction in Myrtle Beach and therefore the courses must keep their conditions green all year to keep golfer pleased.
          Some courses in Myrtle Beach will overseed the entire course whereas others will overseed only fairways and tee boxes. Bentgrass greens do not need to be overseeded as they are a cool season grass. Some courses elect not to overseed the rough as it gives the course some nice definition. This is true for any and all courses in the Myrtle Beach area. Whatever the superintendent decides to do is the final word.
          Most courses will be cart path only for a couple of weeks after overseeding. If this is a problem, contact the course or your Myrtle Beach Golf Director to find out when the course is performing maintenance. This is what your Golf Directors are for. We are here for you and to help you book a most enjoyable Myrtle Beach golf package.